well, a stock ex will handle close to that of the gti, but you have to change the tires. honda still markets their cars to the general population, so the tires they put on them from the factory are made for decent wet/dry/snow traction without being great at anything, and also, they are a hard compound tire to increase wear time. if hondas came from the factory with the tires you find on Evos or STIs, they would easily outhandle the GTI. but, apples to apples, you should compare the GTI to the SI coupe circa 99-00. IMHO it is the best civic america has ever had, and will probably be for a long time. but the true power of a honda comes with tinkering. ive tinkered mine to the point that im going to start attending events with the evo clubs and im hoping with the turbo kit and track tires i can hang with them. but damn, track tires are expensive, just to wear them out.

 

Well, by hatch, I didn't specifically mean the Si, just any 4 or 5G hatchback.

 

What tires would u recommend I get on a Civic? I would think 16 ins would be plenty? What brand? Also, I'm thinking that such tires would not be too good in the snow,right? Thanks.

 

Okay...Grrrr...I don't know this jargon,sorry. What does 4Gor 5G mean? Also, why is a hatch any different performance than a sedan for example?

 

The G sinply refers to the generation (4G = 4th generation = 88-91; 5G = 92-95). The reason the hatches have better handling is they are generally lighter, with shorter wheelbases and lower centers of gravity.

 

but i can attest to the fact that a coupe can be made to handle very well as for tires, if dry handling is the most important feature, then you have some good possibilities.
Dunlop FM901
Yokohama Parada Spec II
Falken Azenis Sport
and Azenis RT-615
Toyo Proxes T1-S
Proxes 4 (kind of outclassed in this group, but still a great tire.)
Nitto NT555
BFG G-force TA kd and also for wet traction too, the kdw and snow also, the kdws.
im sure people can add to this list, but IMO, this is the cream of the crop, ive seen and experienced many of these, and they are head and shoulders above others for dry traction. if you need a balance of wet and dry, go for the BFG G-Force TA kdw or the bad-*** Goodyear Eagle F1 D3, which should afford good all around performance, along with the best wear characteristics of this group. expect to pay a premium for most of these tires, though the Falken Azenis Sports are arguably the best deal. though its said that the wet traction is downright dangerous.

 

It's obvious that there is something good about Civics. Where I live there are many Civics that roam the streets. There are enough upgrades you can do to these cars to give them xtra horsepower without breaking the bank.

 

... in what state do u live? Here in NY Civ's get ripped off a lot! U have tis problem?

How badly would extra hp affect the mpg?

 

hmmm... go easy on the techno terminology but what was/is so great/different about the '99 coupes as compared to '04,'05 ?

 

they redesigned the engines and suspensions, and it wasnt nessesarily an improvement. (in 01)